How to get summer plants out and spring bulbs in and vice versa

Thb

i have a space problem that I need a little help with!

so I have a main border that is filled full with dahlias and chrysanthemums along with a few annuals.  there is no room left.  So now I'm trying to think about my winter and spring bulbs and how to fill the bed for spring.  So all the research I can find says to plant bulbs in autumn and then leave the bulbs in the ground - how do I do that if my other plants don't get lifted until end of October into November?  Then after last frost I put my dahlias back out so can I lift all the bulbs and plant summer flowers again next year?

im very confused as to how I can make it so the bed is not bare apart from the deep winter?

i do have a greenhouse so should I start my bulbs off in pots then plant outside in November?  Would this even work?

at the end of the spring season how do I lift bulbs without cutting the foliage off to early?

any advice on tips?

josusa47

Thb, you'll just have to get a bigger garden !     Here's what I do, though it might not suit you:. I plant most of my spring bulbs in about a dozen large pots which spend most of the year tucked out of the way at the side of the house. When they are about to flower I stand them along the edge of the border beside the path.  When the flowers fade, I put them back round the corner and bring out the next lot.  I don't need to cut off the foliage at all, just remove it when it's well dead and dry.  Every other year I empty the pots, and replant the bulbs in a mix of old and new compost with some seaweed extract.

Last edited: 28 July 2017 00:44:51

Victoria Sponge

Hi Thb

I have a small garden and like to have all year (as much as poss) displays too.

Many bulbs can be left in the ground permanently, if they are planted quite deep you shouldn't end up disturbing when you replant the dahlias the following year, also likely the foliage will still be there so you can see what space you have.

What I do is mark out with a stick in summer where bulbs can be planted between plants and then when the plant is about finished flowering and I have more space put the bulbs in. It's a bit of a faff for the first year but after that it works out as the plants grow as the bulb foliage dies back and vice versa.

I didn't order my bulbs until the back end of Sept last year and was still planting in Nov and haven't had any issues.

What kind of bulbs are you putting in? 

Fairygirl

Spring bulbs tend to be best planted with perennials or deciduous shrubs as you can leave them all there to come up each year. The emerging foliage then hides the dying bulb foliage too and you get a succession of cover.

Alternatively, use large pots for bulb displays which can be replaced by pots of annuals later - similar to what josusa describes. Group pots in threes or fives together to get the best effect, and keep the pots all similar in colour. That gives more impact for less outlay too. I usually do bulbs in aplastic pot which goes inside a nice display pot. That can then be removed and a plastic pot the same size with annuals can be put in to replace them.  

Thb

Hi Victoria Sponge Thank you for your advice.  I like the concept, but with my garden full of Dahlias I wouldn't get much impact from the bulbs as there are few gaps left at least until November when I lift the Dahlias.

I have mostly tulips and daffs - and lots of them to plant lol!

I read that I can lift the bulbs and lay them on trays with foliage still attached and a little soil around the bulb and leave on a tray somewhere out the way to die back - but not sure

Thb

Hi Fairygirl thank you for your advice,

I like the idea of planting in a pot and lift the pot from within.  That might work in the ground to allow me to lift them before the leaves have died back and hide them in a corner somewhere.

I don't really have a perennial garden it is just mostly Dahlias and mums which I lift every year as I have heave soil here.

I might have to try that - thank you for sharing  

CFC

Thb says:

Hi Victoria Sponge Thank you for your advice.  I like the concept, but with my garden full of Dahlias I wouldn't get much impact from the bulbs as there are few gaps left at least until November when I lift the Dahlias.

I have mostly tulips and daffs - and lots of them to plant lol!

I read that I can lift the bulbs and lay them on trays with foliage still attached and a little soil around the bulb and leave on a tray somewhere out the way to die back - but not sure

See original post

 Yes you can. I've done it with tulips and daffodils.